In recent years, there has been a demand for a video/audio information processing and supplying system capable of collectively managing processes of storage, search, reproduction and the like of a data file of video/game soft and the like, and also capable of automatically adding and renewing a data file and managing a soft with a reduction in total equipment, reducing the time in accessing to a soft.
The following describes a conventional video/audio information processing system in a multi-channel data transfer network with reference to a drawing.
FIG. 9 shows an essential construction of a conventional video/audio information processing system of this type. In FIG. 9, 101 is a host computer, 102 is a data processing device, 103 is a switch, and 104-1 through 104-n (represented by "104", hereinafter) are video/audio terminals. The host computer 101, data processing device 102 and switch 103 are provided in a data control center such as, e.g., a management room of a hotel while the video/audio terminal 104 is provided in, e.g., each guest room of the hotel, where data transmission between the switch 103 and each terminal 104 is performed via, for example, a coaxial cable.
The host computer 101 generally controls the data processing device 102 and the switch 103 and receives requests (demand) from the plurality of video/audio terminals 104 and then transfers the received requests to the data processing device 102. Also, the host computer 101 controls the switch 103 to supply the video/audio data from the data processing device 102 to the video/audio terminals 104 which transmitted the requests.
The data processing device 102 includes a plurality of video tape recorders 106-1 through 106-k (represented by "106", hereinafter), a plurality of game player devices 107-1 through 107-m (represented by "107", hereinafter) and a control device 108. The control device 108 receives a request from the host computer 101 and transmits a reply to the host computer and controls the playback, stopping, rapid feeding, reverse winding and the like operation of the video tape recorders 106, and also controls the starting, stopping and the like of the game player devices 107.
The video tape recorders 106 have optional cassette softs 109-1 through 109-k (represented by "109", hereinafter) previously inserted, and similarly the game players 107 have optional CD-ROM game softs 110-1 through 110-m (represented by "110", hereinafter) inserted. As to what video softs are provided in each video tape recorder 106 and what game softs are provided in each game player 107, it is confirmed by previously registering as management information the number of each video tape recorder 106 or each game player 107 paired with the name of each video soft 109 or each game soft 110 in the control device 108. In addition, information as to whether the video tape recorder 106 or game player 107 is being used or not, is also registered as management information.
It is noted here that it is not necessary to provide different video softs from each other in the video tape recorders and that a plurality of video tape recorders may be provided with video softs having the same contents, if necessary. This may be similarly applied to the game devices.
The switch 103 connects in circuit line in optional combination between each video tape recorder 106/ game player 107 and each video/audio terminal 104 in response to a control signal from the host computer 101.
The video/audio terminals 104 comprise television monitors 111-1 through 111-n, set-top boxes 112-1 through 112-n selecting, e.g., a program, and game pads 113-1 through 113-n, respectively, and are commonly connected to an output terminal of the switch 103 via, e.g., a coaxial cable, and are allocated to different frequencies, namely, different channels from each other.
Herein, the following describes a reproduction procedure of a data file of a video soft or a game soft in the conventional example mentioned above.
When the set-top box 112-1 of, for example, a video/audio terminal 104-1 is operated to send a request for reproduction of a data file of a video soft A from the set-top box 112-1 to the host computer 101 via the switch 103, the host computer 101 receives the request and transmits the request to the control device 108 in the data processing device 102.
In the control device 108 which received the request for the video soft A from the host computer 101, it is searched, based on the management information, which video tape recorder among the plurality of the video tape recorders 106 is provided with the video soft A, and it is also examined based on the management information whether or not the video tape recorder is being used. Assuming that the requested video soft A is provided in, e.g., a video tape recorder 106-2 and the video tape recorder 106-2 is not under usage, the control device informs the host computer 103. that the data file of the video soft A is reproduced from the video tape recorder 106-2 and commands the video tape recorder 106-2 to start the reproduction operation.
When the host computer 101 receives the information from the control device 108, the host computer controls the connecting condition of the switch 103 so that the circuit line is connected between the video tape recorder 106-2 and the video/audio terminal 104-1 which transmitted the request for the soft A. Accordingly, the data of the video soft A reproduced by the video tape recorder 106-2 is supplied by transmission to the video/audio terminal 104-1 via the switch 103, and the data of the video soft A is displayed on the television monitor 111-1 while the audio data thereof is generated from a loudspeaker attached to the television monitor. Thus, a person in a room provided with the video/audio terminal 104-1 can enjoy the video soft A.
If the video tape recorders provided with the video soft A are all being used, a reply that there is no vacancy for enjoying the video soft A is sent to the host computer 101 and the host computer 101 transmits the effect via the switch 103 to the video/audio terminal 104-1 which generates the request.
In the case where there is a request for reproduction of another video soft B from, e.g., a set-top box 112-n of another video/audio terminal 104-n to the host computer 101 via the switch 103 under the condition that the data file of the video soft A is being sent from the data processing device 102 to the video/audio terminal 104-1, the host computer 101 receives the request and transfers the request for reproduction of the video soft B to the control device 108 in the data processing device 102. In the control device 108 having received the request for the video soft B from the host computer 101, in a similar manner to the above mentioned, when there is a vacancy, the data of the video soft B is transferred from the data processing device 102 to the video/audio terminal 104-n, and when there is no vacancy, the effect is transmitted to the video/audio terminal 104-n.
In the case where there is a request for reproduction of a game soft C from, e.g., a set-top box 112-2 of another video/audio terminal 104-2 to the host computer 101 via the switch 103 under the condition that the data file of the video soft A is being sent from the data processing device 102 to the video/audio terminal 104-1, the host computer 101 receives the request and transfers the request for reproduction of the game soft C to the control device 108 in the data processing device 102.
In the control device 108 having received the request for the game soft C from the host computer 101, it is searched based on the management information which game device is provided with the game soft C among the game player devices 107-1 through 107-m, and it is also examined based on the management information whether or not the game device is being used.
Assuming that the requested game soft C is provided in, e.g., a game player 107-1 and the game player 107-1 is not under usage, the control device replies to the host computer 101 that the game soft C is outputted from the game player 107-1. The host computer controls the connecting condition of the switch 103 so that the circuit line is connected between the game player 107-1 and the video/audio terminal 104-2 which transmitted the request, and then the control device 108 commands the game player 107-1 to start the data generating operation. Accordingly, the video/audio data of the game soft C reproduced by the game player 107-1 is transferred to the video/audio terminal 104-2 via the switch 103, and the video thereof is displayed on the television monitor 111-2 while the audio data thereof is generated from a loudspeaker attached thereto. Thus, a person in a room provided with the video/audio terminal 104-2 can play the game soft C using the game pad 113-2.
If the game devices provided with the game soft C are all being used, a reply that there is no vacancy for playing the game soft C is sent to the host computer 101 and the host computer 101 transmits the effect via the switch 103 to the video/audio terminal 104-2.
In the case where there is a request for a game soft D from, e.g., a set-top box 112-3 of another video/audio terminal 104-3 to the host computer 101 via the switch 103 under the condition that the game soft C is being sent from the data processing device 102 to the video/audio terminal 104-2, the host computer 101 receives the request and transfers the request for the game soft D to the control device 108 in the data processing device 102. The control device 108 having received the request is operated in a manner similar to the above mentioned, manner namely, when there is a vacancy, the data of the game soft D is transferred from the data processing device 102 to the video/audio terminal 104-3, and when there is no vacancy, the effect is transmitted.
As described above, in the conventional example, when a plurality of video/audio terminals 104 request for reproduction of a video soft or game soft to the host computer 101, these requests are transferred to the control device 108 of the data processing device 102, and as long as there is a vacancy of a video tape recorder or a game device which can reproduce the requested soft, the video soft or game soft can be supplied to the plurality of video/audio terminals 104 by operating the vacant video tape recorder or game device.
Next, when there is given an instruction of stopping reproduction of a video soft or stopping play of a game soft from the video/audio terminal 104 to the host computer 101, the host computer 101 informs the control device 108 that there has been given an instruction of stopping reproduction or stopping play of the soft, and controls the switch 103 to turn off the circuit connection to the video/audio terminal having generated the stop instruction. Also, upon receipt of the information of the stop input from the host computer 101, the control device 108 stops the reproduction operation of the corresponding videotape recorder or game player and registers the effect as the management information.
In addition, in the case of a video soft, when the data reproduction of the soft is finished, the control device 108 stops the reproduction operation of the corresponding video tape recorder and registers the effect as the management information and informs the host computer of the end, so that the switch 103 is controlled to open the circuit connection between the corresponding video/audio terminal and the video tape recorder.
Hereinbelow, the problems of the conventional example are described. For example, in the case where a video soft A is loaded only one video tape recorder 106-2, even when another video/audio terminal requests the same video soft A during the reproduction of the video soft A by a video/audio terminal (e.g., 104-1), the video soft A can not be supplied to the other video/audio terminals until the supply of the video soft A to the terminal 104-1 under reproduction at present is completed. In other words, when a plurality of video/audio terminals request the same soft with time intervals, since it is not ensured that the requested soft is provided in every video tape recorder or game player, there may be a case where the same soft can not be supplied to a plurality of video/audio terminals with time difference.
Moreover, in the case where a plurality of vide/audio terminals request a soft, the soft can not be supplied to the terminals beyond the number of the provided softs and it is impossible to cope with change in frequency of request of each soft, and therefore the waiting time becomes long when the requests are concentrated on a few softs.
In addition, a magnetic tape is used as a data file of a video soft, there is a problem in accessing time because it takes a long time in, e.g, reverse winding.
Furthermore, in an operation of adding or exchanging a video soft or a game soft, the loading and unloading operation of a cassette or compact disc must be manually done by a user, which is a troublesome operation.
In addition, every time a soft is exchanged, the user must change the soft registration of the control device 108, and the management of a soft is complicated.
The first objective of the present invention is to provide a video/audio information processing apparatus and method thereof which is capable of supplying data of any soft to video/audio terminals at any supply starting time as long as the requested softs are within a permissible range of a number of output channels of a data processing device irrespective of whether the softs are the same or different.
The second objective of the present invention is to provide a video/audio information processing apparatus and method thereof which is capable of supplying softs to a number of video/audio terminals beyond the number of the prepared softs.
The third objective of the present invention is to provide a video/audio information processing apparatus and method thereof suppressing a waiting time from increasing even when requests are concentrated onto a specific soft.
The fourth objective of the present invention is to provide a video/audio information processing apparatus and method thereof which is capable of accessing to a soft in a short time.
The fifth objective of the present invention is to provide a video/audio information processing apparatus and method thereof which is capable of automatically adding, exchanging and managing a soft.